DAVAO CITY - The Bangsamoro
People's Consultative Assembly has renewed calls for a
referendum to resolve the Mindanao problem without going
to war.

Abhoud Syed M. Lingga, chairman of the
Bangsamoro People's Consultative Assembly, said the "best
option" to solve the "deep seated sentiment for freedom
and independence" resulting in war and conflicts in
Mindanao is through the conduct of a referendum. Speaking
before participants of the Mindanao Tripeople's Caucus,
Linga said the exercise would "give the Bangsamoro people
the opportunity to make the final decision on their
political status, not just their leaders."

Lingga said the peoples of the
Bangsamoro homeland have been waging a war for
"self-determination" but until now this has not been
resolved and instead worsened with the conflicts resulting
for want of independence. "To address the political issue
of the problem without resorting to war is to give the
Bangsamoro people a chance to choose their political
status with respect to their relation to the Philippine
government through a referendum. They should choose
whether they want to remain part of the Philippines or to
be free and independent," he added.

Lingga said the exercise will ensure
conflict is averted, citing countries like Czechoslovakia,
Quebec and East Timor where they conducted referenda to
resolve internal conflicts. "Countries that refuse to use
this internationally accepted democratic mechanism suffer
the consequences of war."

UN PARTICIPATION

Lingga said the exercise must be
supervised by the United Nations "in order that the result
will be acceptable to all parties. Common sense dictates
that a party to a conflict, like the Philippine
government, cannot be credible to conduct or supervise
such political exercise." The Bangsamoro leader said the
UN "is the best body to oversee the referendum to ensure
that whatever will be the result will be respected by all
parties."

SELF-DETERMINATION

Lingga said for decades now the
Bangsamoro people have sought that right to
self-determination. Citing the United Nations
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and
the International Covenant on Economics, Social and
Cultural Rights, all people, he said "have the right to
self determination."

"By virtue of that right they freely
determine their political status and freely pursue their
economic, social and cultural development", he said. "In
the exercise of that right, the peoples have wide latitude
of choice. At one end, they can demand and pursue within
the nation state more political power, active
participation in the decision making and administration of
government affairs, equitable redistribution of economic
benefits, and appropriate ways of preserving and
protecting their culture and way of life," he said. "Or
they also have the right to organize their own sovereign
and independent government," he said.

BEST POLITICAL OPTION

For decades when Bangsamoro leaders
waged an armed struggle to pursue their right to
self-determination, Lingga said, the Philippine government
responded with "repressive reactions". The war, he said,
caused the deaths of thousands, displacement of millions
of people, and destruction of properties.

Instead of the military spending
billions of pesos to wage the war, it could have used the
money for basic infrastructures, food and other social
services. "The military solution did not work and will not
put an end to the Bangsamoro struggle. The colonial
government may succeed in suppressing one generation of
fighters, but a new generation will succeed them," Lingga
said.

He said even the resulting autonomy
granted to several provinces in Mindanao "failed to
address the genuine desire" of the Bangsamoro people for
freedom and independence.

"If we have to avoid war, this is the
best political option," Lingga said. "The Philippine
government and the Bangsamoro liberation fronts have to
agree to a referendum if their leaders are indeed
statesmen."

"Statesmanship of leaders is not
measured on how bloody and how long they can suppress the
people's right to self-determination but how they see
through that they enjoy this fundamental human right," he
said.

BY MA. VANESSA L. ALMEDA

**********

Death Toll in Sulu Clash Rises to 22;
500 Families Evacuated

MINDANEWS / 7 SEPTEMBER 2002 /
ZAMBOANGA CITY

Casualties in the ongoing clash between
government troops and the Abu Sayyaf has now reached 22 as
"Oplan End Game" continues in Mount Bagsak, Patikul in
Sulu, a military official here said. "This is a very big
group that our forces have been confronting," Major
General Glicerio Sua, chief of the Army's 1st Infantry
Division said today. Of the 22 dead, eight are from the
government side while 14 are from the Abu Sayyaf.

Meanwhile, at least 500 families or
2,000 individuals already fled their homes as the fighting
continues today. Sulu Govenor Yusop Jikiri said the
displaced families are now temporarily housed in
evacuation centers in nearby towns of Patikul including
Jolo, the province capital and the Sulu Crisis Committee
was already mobilized to assist the evacuees on medicine
and food.

MORE TROOPS

Sua said more troops were sent to the
hinterlands of Patikul to reinforce the soldiers deployed
there. At least 5,000 troops are now deployed in Sulu to
run after Abu Sayyaf members now numbering 150. "Oplan End
Game" was launched by the military to rescue four hostages
abducted last month. The Filipino troops including elite
forces recently trained by US servicemen during the
Balikatan 02﷓1 exercise held in Basilan, were deployed in
the area to track down the bandit group. The fate of the
hostages however are still not known as of presstime.

Meantime, Tolentino said the 150
bandits are said to be the combined forces of
Basilan-based Abu leader Khadafy Janjalani and Sulu-based
Abu leader Radulan Sahiron with Tahil Sali, the head of
the Moro National Liberation Front Misuari Breakaway Group
(MBG). The local government is currently formulating a
contingency plan in case fighting will spill over to
nearby towns in Patikul.

These articles are extracts from the
originals published by

A Weekly Publication of the Mindanao News and Information
Cooperative Center
You can read these articles in full and get up to the
minute news about Mindanao and southern Philippines from
the MindaNews web site at http://www.mindanews.com